From a young age we’re often asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My answer has evolved over the years but one thing has always stayed the same: my confidence that the job will still be there. Now, with artificial intelligence (AI), I can’t help but wonder, will it even exist?

I understand if it sounds like I’m catastrophizing. Sure, I’m blowing things out of proportion. I’m definitely taking things too seriously. AI can’t possibly replace us, no way! So, with that in mind, I’m going to hold your hand as I say this: it already has. 

Companies like Amazon and Microsoft have begun to lay off their employees in favor of generative AI models, with Microsoft confirming that it will lay off as many as 9,000 workers, about 4% of its workforce. And it’s not just tech jobs that are affected.

Senator Bernie Sanders, a representative from Vermont, released a report on Oct. 6 warning that AI could wipe out 100 million jobs in the next 10 years, including 89% of fast food and counter workers and 54% of software developers, two very different industries who could both be massively impacted.

Additionally, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei reportedly told Axios that AI could wipe out 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs in the next one to five years with a possible unemployment increase of 10 to 20%. 

Furthermore, even if your preferred occupation has not yet been replaced by AI, that doesn’t mean that AI isn’t already making its way into that field.

A study by Pew Research revealed that 21% of U.S. workers say some of their work is completed using AI. This may seem like a small percentage, but this statistic is up 5% from last year. 

I find this rapid increase of AI in the workplace worrying, and I am not alone in my anxiety about this topic. Half of U.S. workers surveyed said they’re worried about the future impact of AI on their jobs.

Historically, any new technology comes with upheaval. Jobs were replaced or changed with the invention of the printing press, the power loom and computer, contributing to things like the wage gap between college-educated workers and non-college-educated workers. 

Sure, AI can have positive impacts. These systems can help increase workplace productivity and the construction of data centers to power these massive computer systems provides jobs. But are temporary benefits worth the cost?

No one knows exactly what the job landscape will look like in five, 10, or 20 years. The predictions could be entirely wrong. Or, they could be exactly right. So, with that in mind, maybe now is the time to rethink your answer the next time someone asks, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Charlotte Moser at [email protected].